NHS weekend working plans 'could put staff under pressure,' says GP

Dr Sarah Jarvis says plans to provide routine NHS services seven days a week
could put pressure on costs and make life more difficult for GPs who are
already working very long days.

11:13AM GMT 18 Dec 2012

The NHS Commissioning Board said that the health service "needs to offer greater customer convenience" by running throughout the week.

The organisation's planning guidance proposes that hospitals and GP practices should provide services seven days a week, and claims that the move is "essential" to offer a more patient-focused service.

GP Dr Sarah Jarvis is concerned that such a move might put too much pressure on the already stretched NHS: "I don't think there is any question that we need to be providing high quality care ... but I think we need to bear in mind that this is not going to be free.

There is going to be a lot of bureaucracy, places are going to need to be kept open and they're going to need to be staffed, not just by doctors but all the staff that go with them.

"Are we going to be providing a seven days a week? Or are we just going to be providing more at weekends, but less during the week?"